Sad Seoul

안녕 Sitting in a coffee shop in the middle of Seoul and finally realizing that in exactly a month, I will be back in Alabama, is filling me with nothing but sadness. It seems impossible that four months have already passed of my study abroad experience, and it is now...

Italy!

Since I was little, I always imagined that I would live in the United States for my entire life. I know the language, the culture, and the best vacation destinations. I always envisioned the extent of my international experience to be restricted to vacations only....

That One Time I Lived in France

So here I am sitting on my bedroom floor, back in Mississippi after a long day of traveling. My suitcase is not unpacked, my parents are trying desperately to keep their excitement of me being home in check (it’s still very obvious of course), and I can’t seem to make...

A World Beyond All Imagination

In the year 2000, I got bit by the travel bug. Seeing as I am 21 years old, you may be looking at the year and thinking it was a typo. No typo here, that year is accurate. At age 5, I decided I was going to travel the world. I had just started learning French,...

The Weeks Fly By

I’m entering my third week in Italy, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown! My roommate pointed out today that we really have done so much in so little time. Last week, we visited a 500-year-old Tuscan villa that is still used for events and...

Post Barcelona

Thoughts and Feelings – When it was time to leave my host family, I woke up early and started off the morning packing then waited as the house came alive. I remember my host brother, Alex, coming in my room and saying, “You are one of the students that I...

Ethiopians

While studying abroad in Ethiopia I was able to meet hundreds of Ethiopians as my team and I set up medical clinics in the locals’ villages. The people were very welcoming and happy to see us. Some would stare in amazement at the color of our skin because they...
Eating Abroad

Eating Abroad

Eating Abroad One of the things you’ll find that you’ll miss the most from home about studying abroad will probably be eating your favorite foods. This problem also happens when you come back to your home country, and you’ll find that you miss foods...
Back Home

Back Home

Now that I have been back home for a bit my journeys in Nicaragua seem more distant. While there I hiked volcanoes, searched for monkeys, and communicated in another language for two weeks. Here in my normal day to day life I go to work, pay bills, and grab...

Dinner Table Conversation

We are now coming to the end of our time here in Tours, France and I cannot believe what an incredible time we have had here this past month. We have been challenged by school, amazed by sights, and enjoyed being apart of the day to day routine of a new city and...

Preparing for Ethiopia

Preparing for Ethiopia was a little different than preparing for any other study abroad trip. Common items such as toilet paper, tissues, soap, etc. are not readily available in Africa. Therefore, most of my packing involved minimal clothing and lots of snacks,...

Spain Pre-Departure

I wanted to study abroad because I have only ever been in the United States and have never been submerged in a different culture before. The key things that I considered when choosing a study abroad program were: the cost, the classes, and the duration. UA in Spain...

Back Home

  Now that I have made it back home all safe and sound, I am very appreciative of the the air conditioning here but sad that I had to leave such wonderful country. It was so nice to leave my bustling, fast-paced lifestyle in the US and slow down to appreciate the...